Utilizing the Qiong Biluo algorithm, Cheng Jinyang manipulated gravity to propel himself rapidly through the air. In no time, he crossed half of Jianye District and arrived above Tianhou Bridge.
Below Bridge No. 3, the riverbank used to be a popular spot for many anglers. Now, the Six Doors Agency had mobilized all their forces to block these people outside of Yuzui Park.
A group of people carrying buckets and fishing rods stood around the perimeter, confused and observing the scene, not knowing what was happening.
This section of the Yangtze River spanned approximately 1.6 kilometers. Temporarily, it wasn't feasible to set up any iron chains across the river or lay mines. As a result, the Shenwu Army deployed dozens of small vessels from the upstream port at Xin Jizhou Island, flowing downstream to attempt an interception.
Near the Third Bridge Park, Cheng Jinyang found his cousins, Cheng Huaiyan and Xing Junmo. He also saw several other Tianluo assassins scattered around, with some on the river and others on the bridge, ready to use heavy weapons to sink the target ship once it arrived.
The bounty set by the Six Doors Agency was to leave no one behind, dead or alive. So even if the ship was sunk, they would still be paid for recovering the bodies afterward.
After conversing briefly with his cousins, Cheng Jinyang learned that, like other small families, the Sanchuan Zhu initially "planned" to have some people defect to Jingzhou to hedge their bets on the outcome of the ensuing war.
However, when everyone is eager to be the first to do the same thing and there is a lack of organization and communication among them, it is easy for someone to act rashly on their own.
Some fifth-grade aristocratic families in Jiangning District chose to secretly flee from Jiankang City ahead of time, resulting in a clash with the Imperial Guards patrolling the southern suburbs.
No one knew what the captured aristocratic youths had confessed, whether the court had already gotten wind of the news, or if they had even set up a trap to catch them all.
Thus, the undercurrent of chaos suddenly erupted, and many aristocratic families, upon hearing the news, began to flee Jiankang City in a rush.
The turmoil initially began in Jiangning District and then spread northwards to Jianye and other districts.
In Pukou District, the northernmost part, the news arrived the latest. The Hejian Xing family and the Shendu Cheng family were relatively better off; the former controlled the passenger routes near Jiankang, and the latter had access to intelligence channels within the royal court, so they managed to handle the situation with relative ease. As for the Sanchuan Zhu family, further to the east, they were caught completely off guard.
By the time they realized what was happening, the window of opportunity to escape Jiankang was about to close. The Zhu family decisively decided to diversify their escape routes: some would take a detour through uninhabited areas to the north, some would entrust the Shendu Cheng family to use underground channels to withdraw, and others would attempt to break through via the Yangtze River route.
It was evident that while the underground channels, though indebted to the Cheng family, were the safest route, the Yangtze River route was the most perilous, with a high likelihood of being discovered and intercepted en route. The Zhu family must have carefully considered who would take which route.
Sure enough, the group taking the Yangtze River route was quickly discovered. At this point, Zhongshuling Yu Yuangui had urgently authorized free-fire orders, so the Tianluo Department, commissioned by the Six Doors, came to assist the Shenwu Army in intercepting these traitorous ships.
After a moment, before Ah Zhi and the others arrived, Cheng Jinyang encountered another person.
Zhu Xinchu.
The youth, who always wore sunglasses and had a penchant for theatrics in the past, now appeared haggard and frighteningly somber, as if he had aged several decades.
Surrounded by other members of the Zhu family, he approached and exchanged a few words with Cheng Huaiyan, the Tianluo leader present.
Noticing Cheng Jinyang's gaze, he nodded slightly without saying much.
The Zhu family members quickly moved to set up defenses on Bridge No. 3, prompting Cheng Jinyang to approach and inquire.
"That was Zhu Xinchu?" Xing Junmo sighed, leaning in to whisper, "His fiancée died this morning."
"What?" Cheng Jinyang was slightly taken aback. "What happened?"
"The Zhu family had previously arranged a marriage for him with a young lady from the Zhucheng Qiu family. She was three years older than him, with an excellent figure and personality. They fell in love at first sight." Xing Junmo sighed again. "Who would have expected such a tragedy?"
"There was internal division within the family. Some members were eager to defect to Jingzhou, and it happened that this Qiu family girl was wandering around the clan's territory and accidentally witnessed this. Those Zhu family members, knowing she hadn't married in yet, feared she might inform her family and killed her on the spot."
Cheng Jinyang: ....
"This..." He was at a loss for words. "To treat a fellow clan member's fiancee like this is too much."
"Hmph, even within the same clan, there's always underlying conflict." Xing Junmo shook his head, sneering. "These people are about to defect to Jingzhou. They'll be from two different branches of the family in the future, so why would they care about familial ties?"
"Pitiful, hateful," Cheng Huaiyan echoed. The former commented on Zhu Xinchu, while the latter referred to the other Zhu family members.
Cheng Jinyang didn't say anything, but the suggestion his cousin Cheng Yuexian had made earlier suddenly came to mind.
In other words, the branch of the Cheng family that sought refuge in Jingzhou has now become my enemy too.
Putting himself in another's shoes, Cheng Jinyang could somewhat understand Zhu Xinchu's current emotional state.
He thought that if, in a future battlefield, someone from his uncle's side accidentally hurt Ah Zhi, Miss Wang, or Miss Qingqing, he would definitely seek revenge, regardless of the circumstances. He would make the other party pay at least a hundredfold in blood for blood and tooth for tooth.
However, when he further considered that it was merely because of the struggle between the Wang and Sima families for control of the empire that so many aristocratic families were forced to fight among themselves, causing the entire empire to be divided, exhausted, and bleeding, a chilling, piercing dread arose in his heart.
About seven or eight minutes later, Xing Yuanzhi and Chu Qingqing also arrived at Yuzui Park by passenger helicopter, landing near the Tianhou Bridge.
"How's it going?" Chu Qingqing asked hastily as she arrived, "Are we late?"
"Not yet," Cheng Jinyang pointed to the assassins from Tianluo and the Zhu family members on Bridge No. 3, as well as the small boats on the river, "They're still lying in wait."
"That's good," Chu Qingqing breathed a sigh of relief, then turned to greet the two cousins with a bright smile and introduced herself confidently.
The two cousins had peculiar expressions on their faces as they glanced at Miss Qingqing, then at Cheng Jinyang, with a look of hesitation.
Tianluo didn't prohibit bringing in external help during missions. After all, the family wouldn't pay outsiders for their assistance. It was considered your own skill if you could persuade someone to help, and any favors owed were your responsibility to repay.
As a result, people occasionally asked for help, mostly from other members of the Cheng or Xing families, and secondly from acquaintances within the circles of fifth-grade families.
However, the Yangdi Chu family was a fourth-grade family!
Cheng Jinyang, what kind of talent or connections do you have to form a relationship with the Yangdi Chu family and bring a young lady from a fourth-grade family to help?
Even if her grade isn't high, being able to bridge the gap between family grades to involve her is quite impressive!
Chu Qingqing was warmly chatting with the two cousins, who quickly responded with cautious reverence. Meanwhile, Cheng Jinyang found Xing Yuanzhi and quietly asked:
"Where is Miss Wang? Is she in position?"
"Hmm." Xing Yuanzhi nodded without revealing any emotion.
Wang Wanrou, assisting with his and Ah Zhi's Tianluo mission, generally wouldn't appear on the scene but would find a nearby place to observe and direct.
Otherwise, if she appeared here and displayed a close working relationship with Cheng Jinyang, it would undoubtedly shock the two cousins.